A few months ago, I came across http://www.Teachur.co – a blockchain-based venture with an intriguing business model.

It is offering a platform for course providers to convert their online learning resources into fine-grained modules, available for free to anyone in the world.

Each module, however, comes with built-in tests to confirm understanding.

If a learner wishes to obtain a blockchain registered certification of understanding for a granular learning objective, an online payment flows back to the course creator.

The Teachur ecosystem of course creators is essentially free to join – and each course creating partner has the freedom to readily integrate the free learning modules created by other providers. If they do so, however, any royalties earned by the quiz/certification attached to the module automatically flow to the content originator.

Teachur has arranged with IBM Watson a system to deter cheating on quizzes. Watson picks up unique patterns when people keyboard their answers to online quizzes. These patterns are compared with those made by the person who originally registered with Teachur. In this way, the validity of each blockchain-registered certifications can be safeguarded.

If Livecode University were to make its content freely available to the world, while setting up fine-grained tests to confirm understanding of the embedded learning objectives, this might simultaneously greatly expand the reach (and revenue stream) to Livecode University.

What do you think? I'll be happy to encourage Ben Blair or Josh Stanley of Teachur to connect with the right people at LU, if there is an interest.

Best,

Mark
Openworld

Last edited by openworld on Sun Mar 19, 2017 6:25 pm, edited 2 times in total.

This excerpt from a new essay by Don and Alexander Tapscott fills in more about the opportunity for Blockchain-registered certs. If Livecode University were interested in exploring a project with Teachur for this, I'd be glad to help fund microscholarships for several students in developing countries to cover their certification costs on a pilot basis.

>>Melanie Swan is looking to the blockchain to tackle student debt head-on. She is the founder of the Institute for Blockchain Studies. She has been working on MOOC accreditation and “pay for success” models on the blockchain. The blockchain provides three elements toward this goal: (1) a trustable proof-of-truth mechanism to confirm that the students who signed up for Coursera classes actually completed them, took the tests, and mastered the material; (2) a payment mechanism; and (3) smart contracts that could constitute learning plans.

>>Consider smart contracts for coding skills. “Why don’t we target financial aid toward personal development?” Swan said.15 It works like the microfunding organization Kiva, but Kiva for coding classes rather than for entrepreneurial startups; everything would be super transparent, and students would be accountable for their progress. Donors — such as companies that need specific skills — could sponsor individual students, put money toward learning goals, and pay out according to achievement. Let’s say you wanted to support a female student who lives in Nigeria and is going through Google’s Training for Android developers. Every week this student would need to provide proof of completion of a development module. Perhaps this is all automated through an online test where the blockchain confirms the student’s identity and records progress16 before disbursing the next week’s funding — into what we could call the student’s “smart wallet for higher education” — so that the student could continue paying for college courses without interference. This could all be accomplished without a not-for-profit or government agency with administrative costs and the power to change funding.